Classic Animation Track

Six 12-week Classes

The original, 18 month, online animation program. In this series of six classes – from Animation Basics to Polishing and Portfolio – students will learn to develop the artistic and technical skills they need to be successful as a character animator. Working, professional animators provide students with hands-on instruction and valuable industry insights. Graduates of program receive a diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation and leave with exciting new shots for their demo reel.

Choosea Classic.

Invest in the best and join the original animation educational community, pioneered by Animation Mentor and imitated by cheap knock-offs around the world.

PolishYour Skills.

Focus your efforts on developing the artistic and technical skills that will transform you into the best animator you can be.

BuildYour Demo Reel.

Develop world-class, animated shots that will make your demo reel stand out from the crowd.

In Body Mechanics, dive deep into the physicality of animating full body walks on both human and animal characters with our Stella and Sloan rigs. Begin by honing your observational skills and understanding of human and animal anatomy. Once you understand the source of realistic motion, you are ready to learn how timing and spacing choices can take your animation from realistic to stylized. Finally, finish class with workflow tips on how to add polish and shine to your animation.

Learn How to:

Improve your powers of observation through an understanding of anatomy and physiology of full body walks

Apply your observations to animate a full body walk using Stella

Understand the importance of arcs in your ability to convey organic motion

Dive into the principles of locomotion with quadruped walks with our Sloan dog rig

Film useful and usable video reference – a key source of inspiration for most professional feature animators

Explore physicality by adding personality and character to a basic walk cycle, integrating key storytelling components to your shots

Use timing and spacing to take your animation from realistic to cartoony and back again

Add the final 10% of polish to your shot, and take your shot from good to great

Have intermediate computer software skills. This course requires a basic knowledge of 3d software. If you have little to no experience using 3d animation software like Maya, Blender or 3DS Max, we strongly recommend our Maya Workshop: Animation Basics

Have a good understanding of the English language

Achieve a passing score on a basic aptitude test (Wonderlic test). This measures basic understanding in math and verbal skills